Property Manager's Guide to Advertising

Key words and elements included when advertising a rental property can be the difference between good tenants and destructive tenants.   Here is some important information to include in your advertisements:

#1.  Contact information
The more available you are, the more potential tenants will trust you as a responsible and considerate manager.  Be sure to provide a phone number where you know someone will always be able to answer.
 
#2.  Specs and Amenities
Most property advertisements only list the square footage.  At minimum, always list the property’s square footage and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms it has. Expand upon the specifics of the rental with details such as appliances, floor coverings, closet space, and so on. Desirable items you’d want to highlight might be an in-unit washer and dryer, out door space,

#3.  Rental Amount
When advertising a rental property, be careful to only charge the market rent, or slightly less.  This is regardless of what overhead or costs are attached to the property.  Some tenants can be quite familiar with the market, and may not even consider looking at your unit if the price is too high above market.  
#4.  Location
Location is a big priority for most people.  With the technology of GPS, it is extremely helpful for potential tenants to have the exact address.  It is also wise to include the cross-streets.  Some advertisements only include a general area, know your area and keep this in mind when listing your advertisement.

#5.  Pet Policy
Whether or not you allow pets will likely be a huge factor as price and location, studies show a vast majority of renters have a pet of some kind.    If you have breed or size restrictions, say so.  Make your pet policy AS clear as you can in advertisement to avoid confusion or conflict later on.

#6.  Screening Process and Background Check
It can save you a considerable amount of time and money if you are upfront about the fact that you intend to run a background check on applicants.  if you explain that you will require references, you will weed out the tenants with a poor rental history.


 Use your word choice wisely to attract the tenants that are right for you.  You want to include accurate information that isn't misleading or deceptive, the main goal is to make sure your ad stands out from the rest.